Cougar Full Moon – Winter Savory Moon – Quickening Moon

The Mirror Moon

February is often dark and gloomy and out of energy. There is collective genetic memory of this being a frightening times when food supplies are outing predators are roaming outside.

February full moon is the best time for doing home protection rituals, so you can feel secure and ready for a spring time. 

Form a circle of stones or small candles and sit inside the circle. You can place a ribbon on the floor around you. Light a black or white candle, visualize the wall of light flowing up from your circle, and say:

May the light of gods protect me and my family during these dark and gloomy days

And dark nights 

May my home be protected

And all those within it be safe

By earth and air, fire and water

So mote it be.

Once upon a time, Hodja (Turkish enlightened man) looked into the well behind his house and saw the reflection of the Full Moon in its depths. Desperate to save Her, he got a hook and a rope and tried to fish Her out, only to catch the hook on the wall of the well. He pulled and pulled and toppled backwards– and beheld the Full Moon in the sky! He believed that he put Her back where She belonged.

This month we celebrate Imbolc and the Goddess Brigid, to whom water is a scared elements and to whom many wells and springs are dedicated.

At February’s Full Moon, use a bowl of water to capture the Moon’s reflection. Bless the water for magical work:

Into this watery looking glass,

Let gentle Luna’s powers pass.

The Cougar Moon

February is the Cougar Moon. The ending of winter favors the hunters because there is a little food left, and spring is not yet approaching. The power of cougar lies in grace and solitude. Cougars are elusive creatures, you never see them unless they choose to reveal themselves. From the cougar, you can learn to be self sufficient and enjoy your own company. 

To cast this spell, you need a single beeswax candle. Ideally, you should be alone. Light the candle and say:

“Cougar unseen, come from between, to join in my rite.”

Concentrate how the golden-yellow beeswax matches the tawny coat of cougars. The wax’s sweet smell symbolizes the sweetness of solitude. Listen to the quiet around you and seek a pleasure in yourself. Visualize yourself as a cougar, alone and powerful, stalking through the winter woods. Feel your inner strength and know you have self-sufficiency to stand by yourself.

Wait until the candle finishes, and say: “Cougar alone, time has flown, go back to the night.”Later, keep an eye out for solitary projects and activities you can do.

Elizabeth Barrette

Winter Savory Moon

Centuries ago, the main fare from the kitchen hearth in the cold of January and February  was likely to be peas, beans, and root crops. If the family was lucky, they might dine on game.

Winter savory is considered by the Romans to be a gift from the satyrs– half-man, half-beast creatures who roamed the surrounding forest. 

The leaves of winter savory give a warm, spicy kick to food. Medieval cooks liked it as a trusty treatment for indigestion. When taken as a tea, winter savory enhances psychic awareness, making it perfect for Full Moon magical ceremonies and divination.

With a shape and textures similar to rosemary, winter savory has been a favorite among the Tudors in herbal knot gardens.

Quickening Moon

The Quickening Moon is a time of subtle awakening. Honor this month’s Full Moon by making time to clear the way for a new season and make plans for the future. Write a goal or project you want to complete on a piece of paper and burn a white candle on top of it (in a safe container, or on a plate). Make a promise to yourself or pledge your effort to a project, life-style change, or other goal. The Moon is your witness. In August, revisit this goal and check your progress.  

Dedicate a piece of jewelry during this ritual; something you can wear as a reminder of your goal. 

Burn incense of myrrh, sage, spikenard, or a combination of these and chant as you visualize your goal:

Constant Moon

Quicken my heart,

Quicken my blood,

This is the start.